Hurricanes issue statement on North Carolina discrimination law

This week, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a new law in North Carolina that stripped away anti-discrimination protection for gay citizens and, among other things, banned transgendered people from “bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match the gender on their birth certificates.” 

It was legislation hastily crafted by the state’s Republican majority as a response to Charlotte’s ordinance that allowed transgendered people to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

The backlash on social media and from corporations ranging from American Airlines to Apple was fast and furious. The NBA took the aggressive step of threatening to pull the 2017 All-Star Game over the law after several media outlets urged the move. Their statement:

"The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all who attend our games and events. We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect and do not yet know what impact it will have on our ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte.”

The NHL has yet to issue a statement, but then again they don’t have an All-Star Game on the schedule for Carolina like the NBA does.

But the Carolina Hurricanes addressed the controversy on Friday with a short and to the point statement:

Predictably, the brevity of the message has been criticized, because the Hornets said the same thing using more words: 

"The Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we have always sought to provide an inclusive environment. As has been the case since the building opened, we will continue to ensure that all fans, players and employees feel welcome while at work or attending NBA games and events at Time Warner Cable Arena.”

And keep in mind that statement was made after the NBA made theirs.

Good on the Hurricanes. It’s not much, but it’s something, and it lets its customers know they’re on the side of good and light.

But the really heavy lifting comes in what polices the Hurricanes have, how they enforce them and how inclusive they really are for fans that attend games. The statement is a start, but there’s a lot more they can prove in actions.

I’m less concerned with this press release than the one we will or won’t get from the NHL.

The League's been good on these issues. Patrick Burke is an extraordinary ambassador for the League on these kinds of issues – not many other pro sports leagues can boast of someone who walks the walk like he does. But unless we see the NHL’s response through its usual official channels, it falls short of what their friends in the NBA have done on this controversy.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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